Bioluminescent Waves

I would love to go to Maldives one day, as it seems like such a beautiful place being out in the Indian ocean, not too far away from Sri Lanka.  They have this small island called Vaadhoo Island where the beach glows at night, due to the high concentration of phytoplankton (microscopic organisms that live suspended in water) that form the base of the food chain.  Phytoplankton are uniquely adapted to the specific depths, and they need light, so the phytoplankton tend to live near the surface, where enough sunlight can penetrate to power photosynthesis.  The bioluminescence plankton will light up the nighttime waves with an ethereal glow, giving everyone a spectacular show that is termed the “Sea of Stars”, and this can be experienced in this island yearly.  You can swim in the “Sea of Stars”, as the bioluminescent effect is not harmful.  A simple wave is enough to stimulate this chemical reaction, producing the sparkling blue-green visible light which is perfectly visible at night.  This huge concentration is known as a bloom and nobody seems to be able to predict when it will happen, but it certainly seems like it is worth the wait.

Written for Stine Writing – Poetry, Positivity, and Connecting!, Simply 6 Minutes hosted by Christine Bialczak.